Nike and Doernbecher Children's Hospital Team Up to Put the Power of Design in the Hands of Young Patients
April 13 2006 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Hospital patients design five new shoes for Nike in year two of
Doernbecher Freestyle project; proceeds benefit world-class
academic pediatric health center PORTLAND, Ore., April 13
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nike and Doernbecher Children's Hospital
-- based in Portland, Ore. -- have teamed up for the second annual
Doernbecher Freestyle project, which provides the opportunity for
artistically inclined young patients battling serious illness to
design Nike footwear. Working with Nike designers, the patients
enjoy complete creative control as they are taken through the
process of footwear design: choosing styles and material, and
experimenting with color and patterns to create a complete line of
Nike footwear. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060413/SFTH063
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO ) But this
project goes beyond giving budding designers the chance to make a
bold fashion statement -- it is also a unique fund-raising
partnership with Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon's premier
pediatric medical center. The 2006 Doernbecher Freestyle collection
will be available for purchase at http://www.niketown.com/ and at
Niketown stores nationwide to raise proceeds that will benefit
research, health care for uninsured children, and new advances in
medical technology at Doernbecher. In its inaugural year, the
program raised $140,000 for the hospital. From sports to wildlife
to personal outlook on life, the young designers derived their
creative inspiration from a number of places. Working with Nike
designers, the kids built their creations using current Nike
footwear styles. Designs were adorned with everything from
lightning bolts to faux fur to shimmering gold, resulting in a
limited-edition line of uniquely reinterpreted shoes. In all, the
line will include a total of five running and basketball styles.
With their brilliant colors and in-your-face patterns, the shoes
reflect the personalities of their young designers. These talented
kids represent a cross-section of the 56,500 children from Oregon
and beyond who receive care each year at Doernbecher -- the
region's most comprehensive pediatric health center. Ranging in age
from 13 to 20, this year's designers have survived cancer,
neurosurgery, spina bifida, heart surgery and cystic fibrosis.
Together, they have created a shoe line that offers thoughtful and
creative designs. -- Sam Bishop, 13, a brain tumor survivor, pays
homage to his beloved University of Oregon Ducks with a
yellow-green-and-duckfeet-bedecked version of the Nike Shox Bomber
basketball shoe. -- Randi Helkamp, 14, a spina bifida patient,
creates a bold version of the Nike Air Total Package basketball
shoe with faux leopard skin and red patent leather inspired by her
passion for animals. -- Ken Schroder, 20, a cystic fibrosis
patient, credits the hot rod flames on his Air Max Rival running
shoes to his pedal-to-the-metal attitude toward life. -- Hartley
Kelly, 14, a neurosurgery survivor, let her love of the great
outdoors shine through in her fluorescent green and blue Air
Pegasus 2005 running shoes. -- Erin Gray, 18, a cardiology patient,
designed a purple, crimson and white Air Pegasus 2005 running shoe,
a nod to her school colors and athletic pursuit as a distance
runner at the university she attends. Priced from $70 to $135, the
shoes are available in women's sizes 5 to 12 and men's sizes 6 to
15. Sue Nicol, executive director of the Doernbecher Children's
Hospital Foundation, said the program is remarkable on multiple
levels. It is simultaneously an effective fund-raising program, an
uplifting opportunity for kids who have battled serious medical
conditions, and a source of national recognition for Doernbecher's
high-quality programs. But in the world of philanthropy, she said,
Freestyle also serves as "a fantastic model for how a nonprofit can
benefit from a strong relationship with its board members."
Originally proposed by Doernbecher Foundation Board Member Michael
Doherty, Nike's Global Presentation Creative Director, the program
has proved to be equally rewarding to Nike and the designers who
participate. Nike designer Marcus Tayui has worked on the project
since its inception. "The best thing here is that we learn just as
much from the kids as they learn from us. The ideas generated by
these fledgling designers have helped change the way I design
shoes," he said. "They created color pairings and design ideas that
I had never considered. We each got something rewarding from the
experience." About Doernbecher Doernbecher Children's Hospital, an
integral part of Oregon Health & Science University, is a
world-class academic health center that cares for children from
around the United States. Doernbecher provides outstanding cancer
treatment, specialized neurology care, heart surgery with some of
the best success rates in the nation, and care in many other
specialties of pediatrics. The Doernbecher Children's Hospital
Foundation is a 501(c) (3) organization that exists to secure
private philanthropic support for Doernbecher Children's Hospital
at OHSU. The foundation raises funds from individuals, companies,
foundations and organizations, and invests and manages gifts in
accordance with donors' wishes. About Nike NIKE, Inc. based in
Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and
distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and
accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.
Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which
designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and
accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and
distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan, a leading designer and
marketer of luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Hurley
International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action
sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and
Exeter Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic
footwear and apparel for the value retail channel.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060413/SFTH063
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: NIKE, Inc. CONTACT: Michael
MacRae of Doernbecher, +1-503-412-6372 or ; or Ilana Finley of Nike
US Communications, +1-503-671-6734 or Web site:
http://www.nikebiz.com/
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